The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-08

h.rl,reintlon ,vilich slla -. vn 81 Inc
most imp nttnl prOvisl M e lIw The
c-l''ihiates Ter t.lr position 81 ecr tary ire
uunerars. Each commissGu seems likely
10 have fayOrltp TOR t'ie 10 ,nion.
LAND GRANT AFFIRMED.
In the ease Ae Chicagl 81 Paul Min
neapOls am ON TIA RAJ WY compln the
secre AIRY of the ia eriur has DE incl 10 con-
cur in the rtcomhi'ilid or ne commits
sOner OF the general llnd Office that the
company be eniaued from cutting and
dispnsng Of tim ier rom ils untprrOyed Sc
lecteu ands IN the state OF w ScOnsln within
Its indemnity limits, wiilcil se tctiOns have
not yet been approved bee IA - OF the nom
completion of the road within the time
iimIed 10y the granting act though fully
completed since that time. he >ecretary
hOrds hat the ROAD havins been completed
and congress having failed L. declare Il for
feiture OF the grant, the company Is entitled
t. its full benefit The secretary directs the
commissioner e. forthwith adjust the said
gran, and transmit for approval proper lists
of lands selected and subject to selection by
the company within the indemnity limits OF
the grant
THE PACIFIC COMM SION
Now that the interstate commerce com
missl0ners are appointed, the president Is
deyOting himself To the selection of three
men to investigate the T. 'iic rair ads. He
is not obliged to divide lheSe appointments
between the parties, but he has decided that
He will try to gel at least one man specially
qualified for investigating railroad accounts
upon this commission and he intends to
have one man we'll known to the country at
large as a guarantee of the faithfulnesS and
impartiality of the work. AS this commits
sion is to report to congress next December.
1t can noe be appointed and get to work too
soon, for there Is an immense amount of
work TO be done. The appointments being
temporary and having 10 great amount of
honor attached to them, there is some
difficulty IN getting the men the president
wants, although the pay Is $50 month.
j. Sterling Morton, of Nebraska, has been
mentioned as probable appontee.
SHADY LAND CLAIMS.
The commissioner of the general land
Office has approved and sent to the secretary
of the interior for transmission to congress
reports from the surveyor general OF New
Mexico in private land claims rs follows:
The Sierra MOsea claim for u.s. 200 acres.
lie recommends this claim for rejection on
the grounds that the evidence is not sufficient
to make out a case.
The Alemeda (Spanish) claim for 6,274
acres. The surveyor general saws that the
evidence in this case fails to show that the
grantee ever entered into the actual posses
conditions of title required by tine royal laws
of Spain. The clalm is recommended for
rejection.
The Arroyo de San Lorenzo claim for 1885,
l39 acres was also recommended for rejection
for similar reasons.
The San Clements claim for 81. 413 acres
and the Muestra Sonora del Pllas claim for
-, 41S acres were recommended for rejection
on the ground that no evidence of any right
or title Ill the claimants to the tracts described
has been produced.
SEISMIC PHENOMENA.
Capt. Clarence T.. Dutton chief of the
bureau OF volcanic geology of the geological
a M of fhn
ing Of the National academy, which takes
place the third week in April, embodying
the results of the study of an immense mass
OF data upon the Charleston earthquake.
lie does not purpose going beyond we'll
proved facts as TO the nature origin, and in
huence OF seismic phenomena, but he be-
lleyeS that The material in hand, when fully
worked up, will add much to the mass OF
human knowledge regarding TO the rate of
motion OF earth waves and kindred points of
Sclentlhc interest," and that ii will be especial
~ valuable in suggestions for the observation
anu study of future phenomena. The advance
MADE latterly in respect to q knowledge of
earthquake phenomena may be illustrated
by q single point. The recorded rate of
motion OF earthquakes of history varies from
$40 to 800 meters per second. The data upon
the Charleston disasters prove conclusively
that It's earth-WayeS travelled between 1000
ana 5OOO meters per second, while French
Journals at hand containing observations
as high. tits not to be supposed that modern
earthquakes are more energetic than their
predecessors, but it is certain that modern
methods and opportunities give safer results.
IN FAVOR OF THE SETTLERS.
Commissioner Sparks has given decision
which Is of special Importance to settlers
on public lands and against the Northern |
Pacific and the St Paul, Minneapolis d |
Manitoba and ST. Vincent Extension Rail- |
way Companies. According to the state |
ment made to the Land-Office, in 1870 John |
~. kosboth received grant of land under |
the Homestead laws, at Fergus Falls, Minn., |
and built two houses and broke two acres |
or ground. subsequently he returned to |
syracuse, N. Y, where he died I'm the sum-
mer Of 1872. Afterward this tract of land |
was claimed by the Northern Pacific Rail-
road Company, claim being set up that ii |
had been abandoned by KOsboth and should |
revert to the company. June 10, 1884. Kuud |
Lev0rsen applied to enter the same piece of |
ground and wanted it excepted from the |
land given the railroad company. This APP
d-Ofice, who, after hearing evidence on
both sides, approved the course of the rail-
road company. An appeal was taken and |
Sparks reversed the Registers action. The |
Commissioner holds that the fact of Kos
both not complying with the requirements |
of the Presumption law in respect to resi-. |
dence upon the land was not a factor in the |
case and neither of the railroad companies |
can profit by It, If this decision is sustain
ed by the Secretary Of the Interior twill be
Of much advantage to settlers along the
Northern Pacific.
LEGISLATIVE STATISTICS.
The very great importance of taking
private legislation out of congress so that |
congress can get time for the public bills is
shown in a statistical statement of the work
of the forty-ninth congress which Speaker
Carlisle has just had prepared. In the late
congress II, 260 house bills, 266 house Joint
resolutions, 3,:5S senate bills. and 118 senate
joint resolutions W (" introduced. This
makes grand total 2 against 1888
in the forty-eighth CO i. In the late con.
greSS the house paS>C - house bills and
81 house joint resolutions, u total of 1920,
the senate passed e!S senate bills and 80
senate JOINT resolutions, total of 92s, or q
$50 for both houses. The senate passed L.
2O2 house bills and so house Joint resolutions,
in all 252, but the house passed only 405
senate bills and IL senate joint resolutions.
The president approved 66j private ana az
public house bills, 8 private and 81 public
house joint resolutions, 211 private and 1872
public senate bills, 3 private and Is public